Velocity
by themidnightstar
Summary: Charlie and Amita encounter an unexpected danger when they visit Don’s office. Last two chapters now posted! Complete.
1. Chapter 1

Disclaimer: I do not own Numb3rs or the characters. No copyright infringement is intended. The math in this story is from Wikipedia.

A/N: Set in Season 2. This story is mostly fluff with a dash of angst. Many thanks to my new beta seether79!

Chapter 1

"We're here."

Charlie blinked in surprise. Looking around, he realized they were parked in front of the federal building where Don worked. He'd been enjoying his conversation with Amita so much that the twenty-minute drive had felt like only a couple of minutes.

Shaking his head in chagrin, he climbed out of the passenger seat of the car and waited for Amita to join him on the curb. She happily patted the parking meter as she passed it without depositing any coins. "Gotta love Sundays," she declared with a smile.

"Nice to see you can appreciate the little things in life," he teased as they turned and headed toward the building.

"Hey! When you have to do all your laundry at the laundromat, quarters take on a whole new value. We're not all home owners with our own washer and dryer in the garage you know."

Charlie smiled and held up his hands in surrender. "Fair enough."

Letting the matter drop, Amita picked up their conversation from the car. "So, tell me more about your solution for the equation."

Charlie nodded as he returned to his original train of thought. "Right. Well, the solution is found by a direct numerical solver using finite differences and a variation of Stone's method."

"Hmm… Okay, but what about the collision term?"

"Ah! Excellent point!" Charlie turned around and started walking backward so he could continue their conversation face-to-face. "The collision term in the equation is found using the local approximation and the Rosenbluth potentials."

"Interesting! But how do you…"

Out of the corner of his eye, Charlie spotted a small, white object falling from the sky. He swiftly reached out and grabbed her arm to tug her away from its path.

Amita only got out a surprised "Hey!" before she felt a splash of water on the back of her legs and turned around. The white object lay in a puddle of water just behind her.

Crouching down to examine it, Charlie picked up the mangled remnants of a latex glove; the kind Don wore when examining evidence at a crime scene. Charlie was still puzzling at the meaning of the bizarre incident when he heard someone call out, "H-ey, Ch-ar-lie!" in a singsong voice.

Glancing up, Charlie spotted David and a couple other agents peering over a balcony. Just as the words 'water balloon' popped into Charlie's head, another white latex glove imploded beside him, sprinkling water on Charlie and Amita.

Quickly standing up and scooting away, Charlie reached out for Amita's hand and was just about to make a dash for the entrance when he heard Don's voice overhead. "Hey! Cut it out!" he barked in an authoritative tone.

Charlie looked up, hoping Don was there to put a stop to this nonsense. A hope that was quickly dashed when he saw the evil grin on Don's face as he commanded, "Wait until she's clear."

Instantly understanding Don's logic, Charlie moved to stand directly behind Amita. To Don, his little brother was both a fair and tempting target. But Amita, an innocent bystander, was off limits.

Feeling no shame in using Amita as a shield, he wrapped an arm around her and pulled her firmly against him.

Don teasingly called out, "Hey, Amita. Would you mind moving?"

Still looking up, Charlie tightened his grip and whispered in her ear, "Don't leave me."

Amita leaned back against him slightly and whispered back, "Don't worry."

Taking his eyes off the threat above, Charlie focused on the woman in his arms. He realized for the first time the intimate position they were in now. Her back was plastered against his chest and he could feel the warmth of her body against him. She glanced back over her shoulder and her eyes danced with amusement. "Amita…"

Charlie was brought back to reality in a hurry when another water balloon exploded just behind them, soaking the back of his legs.

He reacted by pressing Amita forward, planning to sprint for the lobby. But three more water balloons impacted in front of them in quick succession, cutting off their escape.

"I said, wait!" Don bellowed. But there was barely suppressed laughter in his voice as he repeated, "Not until she's clear."

Then there was silence as the group above retreated from the edge and fell into discussion. One agent remained leaning over the railing with a water balloon in each hand, clearly prepared to soak them if they tried to make a run for cover.

Charlie shifted from foot to foot, preparing to dart to the side and draw fire away from Amita if necessary. He had no problem using her as a shield when he thought they wouldn't try anything; but he couldn't let her get caught in the crossfire if Don and his cohorts were determined to get him at any cost. "When I let go, make a run for the building. I'll run to the side and they'll go after me. Okay?"

"What? Charlie, no! Let's just both…"

Their conversation was interrupted by Don calling out, "Hey, Amita! Would you mind taking three big steps to your right? Charlie, feel free to stay where you are."

Charlie hesitated, but couldn't see any advantage for their attackers in the move. They could douse them just as easily where they were now as if they moved to the right. He glanced at Amita who shrugged, equally puzzled by the request. Deciding they had nothing to lose, Charlie led Amita as if they were dancing and together they crab-walked three paces to the right.

Seconds later, Colby walked out of the front door of the building. Spotting Charlie and Amita, he stopped where they had just been standing and held up a hand in greeting. "Hey, Charlie! There you are. Don said..."

Charlie opened his mouth, but before he could voice a warning Colby was pelted by a series of water balloons in rapid succession.

"Hey! Hey! Hey!" Colby sputtered as they continued to rain down on him. When the volley finally ceased, Colby was dripping wet. Scrubbing water off his face, Colby looked up at the cackling agents above and shouted, "Oh! You guys are dead! You hear me? Dead!"

With that, he charged back into the building.

Looking up, Charlie saw that the balcony was now empty. The guilty parties had scattered.

Charlie stepped back from Amita. With a smile, he took her hand and led her into the building. "Come on. This should be interesting."


	2. Chapter 2

Disclaimer: I do not own Numb3rs or the characters. No copyright infringement is intended. The math in this story is from Wikipedia.

A/N: Set in Season 2. Thank you, everyone, for the reviews! To show my appreciation, I'm posting two chapters at once. And special thanks to my beta, seether79!

Chapter 2 

After stepping off the elevator, Charlie and Amita followed a trail of water to find Colby standing in the middle of a row of cubicles threatening, "And believe me, you're gonna pay!"

David was clearly struggling not to laugh as he said, "I don't know what you're talking about. Why? Did something happen?" Abandoning any attempt to maintain a straight face, he doubled over laughing and grabbed a nearby desk for support.

"Laugh it up," Colby grumbled as he wrung water out of the ends of his shirt. "You're next!"

Charlie covered his mouth, but couldn't hold back his own laughter.

Colby spun around to face him. "And what's your story, huh? Were you supposed to make sure I was in position?"

Charlie's eyes went wide, and he held up his hands. "Hey, don't look at me! This wasn't my idea."

Before he could say more, Don's voice rang out from the back of the room. "Alright, people. Whatever you're discussing out here, let's try to keep it down to a low roar, huh? Some of us would like to get our work done and get out of here while there's still a little weekend left, you know?"

When he neared Colby, Don stopped in his tracks. Looking him up and down, Don screwed up his face in a puzzled expression. "What happened to you?"

"I'll tell you what happened to me! I went out front looking for Charlie like you asked me to and these clowns thought it'd be funny to drop water balloons on me."

"Oh, yeah?" Don asked in a confused tone as he resumed his path down the hallway. "Why's that?"

Colby fell into step beside him and continued complaining. "Because they're immature idiots, that's why!"

As soon as they rounded the corner, the rest of the agents burst out laughing. Only a few people were in the office and clearly things were a little loose today.

Charlie chuckled and shook his head in admiration. If he hadn't known for a fact that Don was involved, he might have fallen for his act too. Turning to Amita, he commented, "You have to admit, he's good."

"Hmm… 'Good' might not be the word I would choose," she replied with a smirk. "You do realize he set Colby up don't you?"

Still smiling, Charlie leaned against a desk and nodded. He'd caught Colby's comment that Don had been the one to send him out front.

Amita raised an eyebrow. "And you don't think he asked you here today for the same reason?"

Charlie immediately shook his head. "No, Don wouldn't…" His words trailed off as he considered the possibility. He reviewed the phone call in his mind.

"_I mean, if you're in the middle of something, it can wait. But if you could come by this afternoon, I'd really appreciate it, buddy."_

Charlie's eyes narrowed as he turned to look in the direction Don had just headed. "He set me up!" Looking back at Amita, he noticed she wore a self-satisfied expression.

"Why are you smiling?" he asked, perplexed. "He ruined your Sunday too, you know."

Amita shrugged. "I guess I just like figuring something out before you. Doesn't happen that often." Tilting her head slightly, she added with a shy smile, "Besides, I wouldn't say the day was ruined."

"Yeah, well…" Charlie trailed off and ran a hand through his hair in frustration, uncertain what he wanted to say. He felt like there was something in Amita's comment he ought to pursue, but anger at his brother was making it hard to think. "I'll be right back," he assured her quickly before storming off in search of Don.

Charlie found him a minute later in the office's small kitchen. But he drew up short at the wide grin on Colby's face. Colby was leaning against the counter, nodding and listening intently. Don stood beside him, one arm slung over Colby's shoulders and the other hand gesturing furiously as he whispered in Colby's ear.

Charlie sighed, understanding immediately what had happened. Don had invited Colby into the game. And Colby, standing there in wet clothing that clung to him, was falling for every word. Charlie couldn't blame him. It'd been that way since Don was a kid. He had a talent for making it seem like joining up with him was the best idea in the world. He used it with witnesses, with suspects he pressed for confessions, and apparently with the victims of childish pranks.

Charlie crossed his arms and waited. He was determined not to fall for it this time. There was nothing Don could say to make up for the fact that calling him down to the office on a Sunday just to become a target had been a nasty trick.

The two agents were so focused on their discussion that Charlie didn't think they'd noticed his arrival. But apparently he was wrong. As Don dropped his arm from Colby's shoulder and reached for his coffee cup, he said without bothering to look up, "And take Charlie with you."

Colby looked insulted. "I think I know how to drop a water balloon, thanks."

Don slowly stirred the contents of a Splenda packet into his coffee. "Yeah? What's velocity?"

"You know…um, how fast something travels," Colby said.

Don locked eyes with Charlie and gave him a slow, knowing smile. And despite his best intentions, Charlie felt himself smiling back.

Ignoring their silent exchange, Colby stalked off. The brothers' eye contact was broken as Colby passed between them and Charlie shook his head as if awakening from a trance. "Forget it," he grumbled.

Don shrugged casually. "Fine."

Charlie gestured irritably in the direction Colby had headed. "He… he knows what velocity is. He's ex-military. Of course, he knows. He just… doesn't know he knows."

Don nodded calmly. "Uh-huh. Okay, Charlie. Whatever you say."


	3. Chapter 3

Disclaimer: I do not own Numb3rs or the characters. No copyright infringement is intended. The math in this story is from Wikipedia.

A/N: This chapter includes an original character, Jack Gibsen.

Chapter 3 

"Velocity is a vector measurement of both the rate and direction of motion," Charlie explained as he looked down from the same balcony Don and his accomplices had stood on not long ago.

Stepping back from the railing, Charlie silently berated himself for how easily he'd been defeated. Don must have known he had Charlie hooked the moment they heard Colby's definition of velocity. For Charlie, hearing someone use a mathematical term incorrectly had always been like an irresistible itch. And Don knew how to get him to scratch.

Colby looked at him blankly. "Uh-huh."

Charlie sighed and tried again. "The velocity of an object is its speed and its direction."

"In other words, how fast something's moving. So, I was right," Colby said in a pleased voice.

Charlie waffled his hand in a so-so gesture. "Sort of. But both speed and direction are required to define velocity. Think of an airplane. An airplane that's circling the runway waiting to land is changing its velocity because it's continuously changing its direction. Even though its speed remains the same. Conversely, an airplane taking off in a straight line is also changing its velocity as it picks up speed."

"So, what does that have to do with water balloons?" Colby asked.

"Well…" Looking down at the wet pavement below, he explained, "The first water balloon thrown at Amita and me landed just behind us. That's because the person throwing it failed to account for both the direction we were headed and the speed. By the time the water balloon landed, we were already a step ahead."

"Wait, they tried to get you too?"

Charlie turned around and showed him the back of his pants, which were wet below the knees.

Colby smiled, clearly delighted to discover he hadn't been their only victim. "Huh. Funny they didn't have that problem when I was the target."

Charlie cleared his throat. "Yes, well, I believe they managed to discover their error and correct it by the time you came along."

Colby looked slightly irritated and went back to their original topic. "So, what you're saying is, we have to lead the target a little."

Charlie nodded excitedly. "Yes, that's exactly it. By the time the balloon reaches the ground, the person will have entered that same space."

"No problem," Colby shrugged. "We do that all the time. That's how you aim for a moving target. Especially over a distance, like with a rifle."

Charlie found it slightly chilling to hear him describe shooting another human being so casually. Of course, it did explain why Don was so familiar with the concept of velocity.

Choosing not to dwell on that thought any further, he changed the subject. "So, who is our intended victim?" Charlie immediately winced at his own poor choice of words, but Colby didn't seem to notice.

"Ah… it's this agent, Jack Gibsen. Guy just really rubs me the wrong way, you know?"

Charlie froze. He suddenly realized the other reason Don had sent him out here on the balcony. It wasn't just to help Colby with his aim. It was because if anybody hated Jack more than Colby, it was Charlie.

Most of the agents in Don's office accepted Charlie's involvement in various cases. Even those who initially questioned it had been won over by the results. But Jack still saw Charlie as interloper and took every opportunity to shut him out.

The worst had been a few weeks ago right after a bust. Waiting in a van nearby, Charlie had overheard Don's name mentioned in the same breath as 'ambulance requested' and feared the worst. Rushing to the scene, Charlie had been stopped by Jack. Charlie had argued that he just wanted to find his brother and that he had clearance to access the scene once it had been secured. Jack ignored him and ordered the officers controlling the crowd not to let him through under any circumstances. Charlie had to wait a long twenty minutes before Don finally found him. Don was fine – he'd been the one requesting the ambulance for one of the men captured in the raid. Jack had just let Charlie sweat because he didn't think Charlie had any business being there in the first place.

Charlie shook off his musings and tried to focus on what Colby was saying. "I mean, the new guy's always in for a little hazing. I can accept that. But Jack takes it to a whole other level. Anyway, Don said he'd be here any minute."

Still a little annoyed at his brother, Charlie asked suspiciously, "And how does he know that? Because he told him to come here?"

Colby shook his head. "Nah. Apparently, he's supposed to drop off some files today." With a grin, he added, "Of course, Don did ask him to call when he's getting close. Said he didn't want to miss him."

Charlie shook his head and laughed. Deciding this was a cause he could get behind, he rubbed his hands together in anticipation and scanned the sidewalk below.

After a couple of minutes, Colby exclaimed, "There! I see him."

Looking in the direction Colby was pointing, Charlie spotted Jack climbing out of the passenger side of a car. He bent down to say something to the driver, and then turned and walked toward the building as the car pulled away from the curb.

Charlie turned and grabbed a couple of balloons out of the large bucket at their feet. He chuckled at their odd shape. "Whose idea was it to use latex gloves for balloons?"

Colby grinned back at him over his shoulder. "Don's."

"Hey, Jack!" Colby shouted. "Hope you brought your umbrella!"

Jack looked up, which was exactly what Colby was waiting for. The first balloon he threw fell short, but the next one caught him mid-chest. Charlie threw two balloons, managing to hit his target both times.

Leaning over the railing, Charlie laughed and waved as Jack glared up before darting into the building.

"So, what do we do now?" he asked as he turned to look at Colby.

But Colby wasn't there. As he looked around the balcony, Charlie realized he was alone. Colby was gone. And so was the bucket of remaining water balloons.

TBC


	4. Chapter 4

Disclaimer: I do not own Numb3rs or the characters. No copyright infringement is intended. The math in this story is from Wikipedia.

A/N: Many thanks to my beta, seether79!

Chapter 4

Charlie cautiously stepped into an empty hallway and immediately felt a hand grab him by the front of his shirt and yank him to the side. He squeezed his eyes shut, certain he was about to receive a water balloon to the face.

Instead, the hand shifted to his shoulder and shook him roughly. "Charlie!" his brother whispered urgently. Opening one eye warily, he watched Don gesture 'stay low' and then 'follow me.' Silently, they ran at a low crouch down the hall and into the conference room. Charlie felt awkward and clumsy trying to run that way, but Don made it look smooth and effortless. He tried copying Don's movements, but that only made him clumsier and he found himself silently cursing Don in frustration by the time they reached the conference room.

Charlie was delighted to find Amita sitting on the edge of the conference table casually swinging her legs back and forth. But a wave of guilt washed over him as he realized how rudely he'd abandoned her earlier. He gazed at her, struck speechless, as he struggled to think of a way to make it up to her.

Misinterpreting the reason for his stare, Amita pointed to a nametag on her shirt and explained with a slightly embarrassed grin, "Don's idea." In the middle of her shirt was a nametag with the word SAFE written in big block letters. Turning around, she displayed a similar one on her back. It looked silly, but Charlie suspected she might be the only one walking out of here still dry by the end of the day. It also meant a lot to him that Amita put up with Don's overprotective tendencies with such good humor.

"I should probably be mad at you for disappearing earlier," she teased, "but Don says that's his fault."

Before he could reply, Don nudged him and said, "How many do you have?"

Charlie looked at him blankly, not understanding the question.

Instead of clarifying, Don looked him up and down and then groaned. "Charlie! I send you to where there's a bucket full of water balloons and you don't bring back any? We're dead!"

"What? How was I supposed to know this little game would be continuing inside? This isn't exactly…"

Their argument was interrupted when the door to the conference room suddenly swung open.

Before Charlie could even react, Don darted out of the way.

Charlie sputtered as several water balloons hit him at once, spraying water everywhere. Holding up his arms to try to block them proved useless, but he managed to catch one unbroken balloon in his hands. Lobbing it back, he hit one of the agents just under her chin. She gasped and then retaliated by throwing two more balloons in rapid succession. David threw a balloon that caught Charlie on the side of his head, soaking his hair and dripping water down his neck. Then the attack was over, as suddenly as it had begun.

Charlie swept wet hair out of his face and glared at the small crowd of laughing agents. David and Colby, clearly the ringleaders, stood in front. Then he turned to look over his shoulder at Amita and Don. Amita crouched in the middle of the conference table with her legs curled up under her, clearly trying to stay as far out of the line of fire as possible.

Don stood further back behind the conference table, but his evasive maneuvering hadn't saved him. He'd been pinned down in a corner, unable to move without risking putting expensive video conferencing equipment in harm's way. His clothes were soaked and clinging to him.

Charlie couldn't help smiling. He was still annoyed at their attackers, but it helped to know Don hadn't escaped unscathed.

Don slowly drew his arms up and placed his hands on the back of his head as if he was a suspect under arrest. The instant he did, two agents dragged him forward while a third dropped a balloon directly on his head. Don laughed and shook his head like a dog. Drops of water radiated away from his head in every direction, and the agents who'd been holding him took a step back.

"Alright! Alright!" Don announced, still chuckling. "You win."

A general cheer went up, and the small crowd began to disperse, gloating over their victory as they went. Only David stayed behind.

Don pointedly looked him over, taking in his dry exterior. David caught Don's look and shrugged casually. "Day's not over yet."

Don seemed cheered by that thought. "Yeah. Yeah, that's true."

David eyed him warily, but Don shook his head to indicate he wouldn't pursue the matter further at the moment.

Don pulled out a chair and was about to sit down when he hesitated. Obviously reluctant to get the chair wet, he settled for perching on the edge of the table instead. Charlie leaned against the table beside him, fidgeting slightly against uncomfortable wet clothing.

David made a show of sinking into one of the chairs. Amita, relatively dry despite being caught in the crossfire, sat in a chair as well. Once they were all settled, Don ran a hand through the wet hair now plastered to his scalp and asked, "Where's Jack?"

David snickered. "Men's room. I think he's trying to dry off using that little automatic hand dryer. Should only take him about five hours or so."

Knowing how wet Jack had been, Charlie burst out laughing at the mental image.

Don leaned over to Amita. "See, I told you he has an evil streak."

"Hey!" Charlie protested, "That… That is just…"

Don shook his head sagely. "Don't try to fight it, Charlie. After all, women always go for the bad boys."

David nodded. "True. So true."

Amita rolled her eyes. "Where's Megan? I need somebody on my side for this debate."

Don and David exchanged amused glances. David coughed slightly to cover a laugh as Don explained, "Megan is of the opinion that throwing water balloons is immature, juvenile, and…um…" He looked to David for help.

"Acting out behavior," David supplied.

Don stiffened slightly and an incongruous expression passed over his face. Charlie couldn't quite identify it, but he found it troubling because for a moment Don looked almost sad. Then the odd expression disappeared as quickly as it came. "Right," Don nodded quickly.

"Plus, she threatened to break your arm if you messed up her hair," David added with a smirk.

"That too," Don acknowledged easily, his smile firmly back in place.

Silently observing his brother, Charlie decided it wasn't a fake smile. The playfulness Don had exhibited all day seemed genuine. It was more like David had unwittingly hit on a painful subject.

But Don's mischievous mood had clearly returned as he gazed up toward the ceiling and commented in a thoughtful tone, "Yeah, I don't think there's anyway I could convince her to come back to the office today. I think it'd have to be someone she considers far too intelligent to take part in such childish games."

TBC


	5. Chapter 5

Disclaimer: I do not own Numb3rs or the characters. No copyright infringement is intended. The math in this story is from Wikipedia.

A/N: This chapter is a little short, so I'm posting two chapters at once. Many thanks to my beta, seether79! She's back! Yay!

Chapter 5

"So, like I was saying, Megan, um… I just thought I'd drop by the office and um, see if you weren't busy…"

Even over the phone, there was no mistaking the amusement in Megan's voice. "Charlie, you're the worst liar I've ever heard."

Charlie sighed. He'd tried to convince his brother this wouldn't work, but Don had refused to listen.

"Is Don there listening?"

Charlie glanced over at Don before replying, "Um, no."

Megan laughed. "Oh, Charlie! You can't lie at _all_ can you?"

"I can too!" Charlie blurted out before wincing at how petulant he sounded.

Megan chuckled. "You know, it's interesting… Your brother's actually very good at it. I bet he tricked you into coming to the office today. Am I right?"

Assuming she was about to berate him for how easily he'd fallen for his brother's deception, he answered in a guarded tone, "Maybe."

"Well, try looking at it this way," she offered kindly, "maybe that's because you're the good one in the family. Huh?"

He knew she meant well, but it grated against him. All through high school pretty girls who only had eyes for his big brother had dismissively called him a sweet kid. Teachers and principals had held him up as an example of good behavior for Don, unintentionally driving a wedge further between them. No matter how old or successful he became, being compared to his brother always rubbed him the wrong way.

Unaware she'd caused any offense, Megan continued, "Listen, I gotta go. Tell Don I said 'hi.' And tell him if he gets so much as a drop of water on my hair when I come into the office on Monday, I'll break his legs. Okay?"

"Okay," he replied absently as he continued to stew over her comments.

"Bye, Charlie," Megan crooned sweetly before hanging up the phone.

Charlie stood listening to a dial tone and burned with frustration. Don and David were grinning at him with barely suppressed excitement. He wasn't looking forward to telling them he'd failed. Even worse was Amita's skeptical expression. He wasn't sure if she couldn't believe he'd be successful or just couldn't believe he'd agreed to make the phone call in the first place. Either way, he became determined to prove Megan wrong.

Before he'd even finished the thought, Charlie tightened his grip on the phone and said, "Yeah? So you'll come?"

Don and David silently cheered and exchanged high-fives while Amita simply raised her eyebrows in surprise.

Charlie blinked, bewildered by his own actions. Unable to figure a way out of it, he continued with the charade. "Ten minutes? Okay. Tell you what. I'll meet you out front, okay? Yeah, right in front of the building."

As he hung up the phone, Don thumped him on the back. "Way to go, Charlie!" he exclaimed. "Okay, we've still got a few water balloons left, right? Let's go!"

Charlie interrupted quickly, "Actually, Don and I need a minute." He wasn't sure how he was going to get out of this, but confiding in Don seemed like his only option.

Don shot him a quizzical glance, then turned back to David without missing a beat and said, "Look, why don't you go keep a lookout? Charlie and I'll work on getting a few more balloons ready, alright?" David grinned and the two fell into a quick strategy discussion.

Charlie took Amita aside. "Would you mind going with David? I just need a couple minutes to talk to Don."

Amita looked slightly puzzled, but swiftly nodded. "Sure, no problem." With a smile she added, "Hanging out with you two is a little dangerous right now anyway."

Charlie smiled and ducked his head. "Thanks for being such a good sport today."

"No problem. It's been fun," she assured him as she reached out and patted him on one of the few dry spots left on his shirt. She let her hand linger there. Charlie concentrated on not making any sudden moves that might dislodge it and just enjoyed the feel of it.

In a playful tone she added, "Actually, it's given me a few ideas. The balcony on the south side of the math building would be a prime location for a water balloon attack. And I know _you_ pass under there everyday."

Charlie did an exaggerated double take and Amita laughed. "What? You thought I wouldn't want to play? Don was the one who decided I was off-limits. Not me. Remember?"

Before Charlie could decide how to react to that, Don bumped him with his shoulder and jerked his head to indicate he should follow him. Charlie, already missing the feel of Amita's hand on him, only had time for a quick glance back at her before he turned and jogged to catch up with his brother.


	6. Chapter 6

Disclaimer: I do not own Numb3rs or the characters. No copyright infringement is intended. The math in this story is from Wikipedia.

A/N: I added another original character. I do that.

Chapter 6

As they headed for the office kitchen, Don asked, "So? What's up, Charlie?"

Charlie knew he should promptly confess the lie, but instead he stalled for time by replying, "You tell me. What's this day been about? Why are you here on a Sunday? You can't be working on a case, or you wouldn't be goofing off like this."

Don shook his head. "Nah, it's just this review we've got coming up on Monday. But we're ready. Today is just about making sure we dotted all the i's and crossed the t's."

Charlie nodded, but the memory of Don's pained expression when David mentioned 'acting out behavior' returned to him. He decided to put his own problems aside for the moment and subtly dig a little deeper. "Latex gloves as water balloons. Pretty inventive."

Don, who was currently filling a glove with water from the kitchen sink, looked over his shoulder with a grin. "Like it? I learned this from a guy back in the academy. Eddie Darnell. Man, we were so close back then. But we lost touch over the years, you know? I always thought… I don't know. I always thought we'd find the time to catch up someday."

Charlie leaned against the counter and shrugged. "So? Why don't you?"

Don stumbled over his words as he struggled and failed to hold onto the casual tone of the conversation. "Oh, well… There was… He was killed in the line of duty."

Charlie froze. He must have looked shocked because Don rushed to explain, "It happened a long time ago, Charlie. Way before I transferred to the LA office. I just – I ran across his name on some old files I was reading to prep for the review. And I started thinking about him, you know?"

"Why didn't I know this before? Why didn't you ever tell us?" Charlie asked. He hated the fact that Don never told him things about his life before he moved back to LA.

Don grimaced. "Yeah, 'cause that's a conversation I want to have with Dad. He has enough nightmares. Think I want to give him more? No sir. No thank you."

"Why didn't you tell me?"

Don carefully kept his eyes on the next glove, watching it slowly fill with water and expand. "We weren't really keeping in touch back then."

Even though he knew it was true, Charlie suddenly felt a little angry with Don for keeping this bottled up. "So today's what? A tribute to him?"

Don shut off the faucet and tied off another balloon. "Yeah. Yeah, I guess so. Sort of. Is that… crazy?"

The minute Don turned to face him; all of Charlie's anger faded away. Don looked so vulnerable. Like he thought Charlie had the authority to decide what was crazy and what wasn't. His eyes pleaded with Charlie to tell him it was okay while his body tensed as if expecting a rebuke.

It shook him a little to see Don so unsure of himself. One of his chief comforts in life was knowing he could rely on Don to always be the strong one. But he pushed past his own feelings to focus on Don's question. "No," he replied gently. "No, it's not crazy. It's…" Words failed him, but math never did. "It's velocity."

Don looked at him blankly.

Charlie explained, "Speed and direction. You miscalculated the speed. Put off catching up with an old friend because you thought you had more time. My regrets center on a miscalculation in... direction."

The air crackled with tension. This was a taboo subject for them. But once he'd started, Charlie found he couldn't stop. His mind screamed at him to shut up, but the words tumbled out. "I… I knew Mom was getting worse. But I couldn't… I just… I couldn't even _think_ it. I…"

When Don's hand landed on Charlie's shoulder, he flinched. But as Don pulled him into a hug, he didn't resist. "I know," Don murmured.

When they stepped back out of the hug, Charlie was afraid of what Don might say. Even though he'd been the one to bring up their mother's death, he found it was still too raw. He didn't think he could bear any empty platitudes or words of reassurance. Or worse, condemnation. When Don finally spoke, his voice was a little thick with unshed tears, but all he said was, "Megan's not really coming is she?"

Charlie sagged slightly in relief. They were already farther out on this ledge than he wanted to be. Time to retreat. He chuckled slightly as he scrubbed away a tear. "No."

"Good," Don smiled. "I was afraid she was slipping."

"She really keeps you on your toes doesn't she?"

"Oh, yeah. Megan's great. I mean, she's not…" Don let that thought trail off unfinished, but quickly recovered and repeated in a sincere tone, "Megan's great."

"Yeah," Charlie nodded swiftly in agreement. "Megan's great." With a teasing grin he added, "Of course, Terry would have come out to play today."

Don smiled wistfully. "Yeah." In a boastful tone he added, "Are you kidding? Terry would have led the charge." His tone grew wistful again as he breathed out, "God, I miss her." He shook his head and lapsed into silence.

After a moment, Don noted with a wry expression, "You know, as attempts to cheer me up go, so far yours have really sucked."

"What?"

"I'm just telling it like it is, buddy. Your ability to cheer people up could use some serious work."

Charlie thought about that for a moment. "David's on the balcony."

Don shrugged disinterestedly and looked down at his feet.

Charlie prompted, "Cornered on the balcony, with no means of escape."

Don raised his head. "Better."

Encouraged, Charlie continued, "And he is expecting us to bring more water balloons."

Don smiled. "It'd be a shame to disappoint him."

TBC


	7. Chapter 7

Disclaimer: I do not own Numb3rs or the characters. No copyright infringement is intended.

A/N: Sorry for the long delay! I'd been avoiding updating this story because I wasn't happy with my original ending. Fortunately, Juwel gave me the push I needed to start posting again and D. Lerious was kind enough to help me rework the ending. Thanks, Juwel & D. Lerious! And thank you everyone for your kind reviews and your patience.

Warning: Contains slight spoilers/references for "Convergence" and other episodes.

Chapter 7

Perched on the edge of Don's desk, Charlie shifted uncomfortably in his wet jeans and wondered vaguely if he could ride home in Amita's car without ruining the upholstery.

The water balloon fight on the balcony had been epic. Don and Charlie recruited Colby and the three of them had approached the balcony armed with as many water balloons as they could hold. David and Amita, manning their position with the remaining balloons in the bucket, had fought back valiantly.

Amita shrieked loudly in surprise when the first balloon hit her in the back, but she swiftly spun around and her eyes narrowed dangerously at Charlie. She scooped up a water balloon out of the bucket at her feet, and the fight was on.

Don and Colby had focused their attack on David, but Charlie hadn't hesitated to throw as many balloons as he could at Amita and she'd responded in kind. Charlie reveled in the thought that she might be off limits for Don, but not for him.

"What's _that _smile for?"

Charlie looked up to see Amita standing in front of him. "I didn't realize that I was," he replied in surprise. But now that she'd mentioned it, he couldn't seem to stop.

Amita settled onto the edge of the desk, close beside him. "Oh, yeah. _Big_ smile. Kind of surprising, considering how thoroughly you were just trounced," she teased.

Charlie raised his eyebrows at that comment and pointedly reached over to tuck a long, wet strand of hair behind her ear. "Trounced, huh?"

She shrugged, but refused to back down from her claim. "Yeah," she grinned.

Gazing at her, he marveled at how beautiful she looked. Her wet hair was slicked back and her sodden clothes clung to her body in some truly fascinating ways. Charlie, on the other hand, strongly suspected he looked like a drowned rat. What truly amazed him about Amita, even more than her ability to look good in any situation, was her ability to fit comfortably into any situation. He dragged her along to family dinners and consulting jobs— any excuse to spend time with her. And she adapted to every new situation so well she made it seem effortless.

"You know," she confided, "I should have realized something was up when you called Megan. I can't believe you set David and me up like that! Don's right. You do have an evil streak."

In truth, his deception had been the result of belligerent impulsiveness rather than cunning strategy. Charlie smiled uncomfortably and decided not to correct her.

Glancing across the room, he watched Don laughing as he told a story about his academy days that featured his old friend Eddie Darnell. Colby and David didn't know the reason Eddie was on Don's mind today, but they were clearly enjoying the story anyway.

Don's regrets about lost opportunities and wasted time weighed heavily on Charlie's mind as he turned back to her. "Amita, would you consider giving me a second chance?"

Amita looked confused by the sudden change in topic. Charlie took a deep breath to steady his nerves and plunged ahead. "No rules about what we can or can't talk about. No elaborate plans for a concert weeks away. Just you and me, on a date. What do you say?"

Amita opened her mouth to reply, but before she could say anything, he interjected, "We'll go anywhere you want. You pick. We can even go to Pie 'n Burger." Frankly, he'd never liked the place. And ever since Marshall Penfield's recent visit, he'd come to truly hate it. But he'd start going there every day of the week if she wanted. His heart sped up as he anxiously awaited her answer and he had to force himself not to fidget.

"You know, I'm starting to think that place is overrated. I've heard Apple Pan is better," she replied with a soft smile.

Charlie's heart sank. That sounded like a 'no'. A little indirect, maybe, but he'd suggested a place and she'd rejected it. Called it overrated. Overrated like a professor who had started his career with a theory that had a flaw...

Charlie was so wrapped up in his thoughts that he almost missed her next words.

"…maybe we could try going there. On, um, Thursday? Would that work for you?" she asked, retucking her hair behind her ear in a nervous gesture.

"Where?" Charlie asked, genuinely confused, as he tried to shake off his depressing ruminations.

Amita's nervousness seemed to increase as she twisted her hands together in her lap and explained, "Apple Pan. I thought we could try Apple Pan instead. On Thursday, maybe? But if you don't…"

Delighted, Charlie reached over and picked up one of her hands to still the anxious movement. "Apple Pan sounds great."

Emboldened by the turn of events, Charlie forgot about the others in the room. Everything else fell away as he slowly leaned in to kiss her, praying he was reading the moment correctly and wasn't about to make a fool out of himself. She leaned in slightly to meet him, but just as their lips were about to meet the stubborn stand of hair he'd tucked behind her ear slipped out of place again and swung down between them.

With a slight chuckle, Charlie reached up to brush it away from her face. He let his hand linger, tracing a path down the side of her face in a gentle caress and felt a tiny shiver run through her. With a start, he glanced down at his other hand that still held hers and realized her hand was ice cold. "You're freezing!" he declared with sudden concern.

Charlie immediately sat back and shook his head. He couldn't believe he'd been so thoughtless. He jumped up off the desk and was about to offer her his jacket when he realized what a futile gesture that was. His clothes were just as wet as hers. Recovering quickly, he said, "Come on, let's get you home."

A look of frustration flashed though Amita's eyes before she closed them. For a moment, he was worried he'd done something wrong. But when she opened her eyes again, the perturbed expression was gone and she smiled up at him before standing up and slipping her hand back into his. "Okay, Charlie, let's go."

As they headed for the elevators, after pausing for a friendly wave and a few words in parting for Don and the others, Amita muttered under her breath, "On Thursday, remind me to wear a parka. And gloves. Maybe a scarf."

Charlie shot her a questioning glance, but she just shook her head and smiled.


	8. Chapter 8

Disclaimer: I do not own Numb3rs or the characters. No copyright infringement is intended.

A/N: Special thanks to D. Lerious!

Chapter 8 - Epilogue

A week later, Charlie and Amita were hunkered down on his next-door neighbor's lawn behind a low hedge. Both of them cradled several brightly colored water balloons in their arms. Charlie was glad Mrs. Kaplan wasn't home at the moment because explaining what they were doing on her lawn would have been tricky. Her one-eyed cat, Milo, had wandered over to give them an inquiring sniff and an opportunity to pet him before losing interest and wandering away. A couple of kids biking down the street on a lazy Sunday afternoon had circled back to shoot curious stares at Charlie and Amita, but so far no one had come over to ask them what they were doing.

"Are you sure he's coming?" Amita asked excitedly.

Charlie simply nodded, too charmed by her childish delight to formulate a proper answer.

He glanced up at the sound of a car approaching, half expecting it to be another false alarm. Instead, Don's black SUV slowed and turned into the driveway. He parked behind their dad's car on the bottom of the driveway, close to the street. Perfect! From their position, they'd have a direct shot at the driver's side.

Stepping out of the vehicle, Don paused and seemed to sense that he was being watched. With his hand still on the car door, he turned and scanned the quiet neighborhood street. Charlie held his breath and resisted the urge to duck down lower— afraid any movement would tip their prey to their location. Amita remained equally still beside him.

After a moment, Don relaxed and reached back into the SUV to retrieve his jacket from the passenger seat before shutting the door. He was casually dressed in jeans and a blue polo shirt, and Charlie was relieved to see he was unarmed.

"Ready?" Charlie whispered to Amita.

She nodded and flashed him a quick grin before focusing on Don.

As Don took his first step toward the house, Charlie threw the first balloon. It wobbled through the air before impacting against the side of the SUV right next to Don, spraying him with water.

Don spun to look in the direction it had come from just in time to catch a water balloon thrown by Amita right in the face. Sputtering, he staggered back as the next balloon thrown by Charlie hit him high on the chest. Charlie hopped over the hedge and ran toward his target, throwing two more water balloons in rapid succession. The first caught Don on the shoulder, while the second impacted against the SUV, sending water streaking across the window behind him.

Don darted around the front of his vehicle and ducked down behind the passenger side of it as he called out, "Charlie? Charlie, can't we talk about this?"

Charlie laughed and hollered back, "No!" as Amita drew up beside him. He was already out of ammo, but she generously passed over one of her two remaining balloons.

He smiled in thanks before signaling for her to approach Don from the front of the SUV while he circled around from the back.

Creeping around the back of the SUV as quietly as he could, he drew his arm back and prepared for the final assault. Springing out from behind the vehicle, he was met with the startling impact of a water balloon to the face as he heard Amita cry out, "Oops! Sorry!"

Before he could puzzle out how Don had managed to give them the slip, Charlie felt a hand reach out from beneath the SUV and tug hard at his ankle. It wasn't enough to knock him over, but it threw him off balance and the water balloon he'd been holding slipped from his grasp to tumble to the ground behind him.

The hand disappeared back under the SUV.

Charlie brushed wet hair out of his face and looked over at Amita who smiled apologetically and mouthed, "Sorry." He quickly smiled back to show there were no hard feelings.

From beneath the SUV, Don called out cautiously, "Charlie?"

Charlie snickered and raised his arm to rest on Amita's shoulders as she stepped beside him and put an arm around his waist. "It's safe to come out, Don. I promise," he assured his brother.

Don awkwardly scooted out from under the SUV and then rolled over to lie flat on his back on the driveway, staring up at Charlie and Amita. He raised an eyebrow at their cozy stance and his lips curled up in a hint of a smile, but he made no comment.

Soaking wet with smudges of dirt decorating his shirt, he somehow still managed to look cool as he put his hands behind his head and casually crossed one ankle over the other as if lying on the ground staring up at them was the most natural thing in the world. In an almost conversational tone, he asked, "Charlie, can you give me one reason why I shouldn't be mad?"

Charlie confidently looked him in the eye as he answered, "Because Eddie Darnell would have been proud."

Don blinked and then slowly smiled. "Yeah. Yeah, I'm sure that's true."

Charlie stepped closer and extended a hand to help his brother up. "Truce?" he offered.

Proving he didn't have a problem with hugging, Don took Charlie's hand and used the momentum of getting up off the ground to pull his brother into a tight hug, making sure to get Charlie's clothes as wet as possible in the process. "Truce," he agreed with a smile.

THE END


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